The invention relates generally to an apparatus for supplying liquid to an elongated liquid reservoir and, more particularly, to a trough, extending transversely over the width of a continuous fabric web, into which a treatment liquid is poured from above.
Different types of such liquid reservoirs have been used in the treatment of fabric webs. The treatment liquid may be delivered to the fabric web from the liquid reservoir or the fabric web may be guided through the liquid reservoir. In one type, the liquid reservoir of a mangle comprises a textile fabric web guided through a trough. In liquid reservoirs of this type the quantity of liquid in the trough is so great that a sufficiently uniform liquid level is assured even if the supply of the liquid to the trough occurs at only one site along the trough.
However, there are instances in which the liquid reservoir is relatively small and thereby is rapidly depleted by the fabric web, if the reservoir is not continuously filled. In such cases, the level of liquid in the reservoir can become non-uniform over the width of the web if the reservoir is supplied at only one site along the width of the fabric web. A non-uniform liquid level in the reservoir often results in non-uniform treatment of the fabric web over its width. Nonuniform web treatment can occur with use of the apparatus shown in FIG. 11 of French Patent No. 13 81 081. In this patent, only a small amount of liquid is contained in the cross section of the liquid reservoir and the compensation flow in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the direction transverse to the fabric web, is hindered by the narrowness of the trough.
Hence, the problem to which the invention is directed is provision of a feed apparatus in which liquid can be supplied over the length of the liquid reservoir in order to produce the maximum possible uniformity of web treatment.